The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-04-26
A Portrait Gallery in words.

enormous personal advantages. In
his best days his figure was tall and
erect, and he had all the air Of being
of a superior species. When he rose
to speak his countenance glowed with
animation, justifying Cowper's des
cription of him: with all his coun-
try beaming in his face" He had an
aquiline nose and an extraordinary
penetrating eye, from which he
glanced looks of scorn and contempt
that sometimes threw opponents into
confusion before they got far with
their speeches. His attitude was i'm
posing and his gestures were energetic
to the point of vehemence.
William Murray, the first Earl of
Mansfield and the great Tory antago-
mist of Chatham, was also fortunate in
his looks. He was the "silver- tongued
Murray" of whom Colley Cibber wrote
in mockery of a couplet of Pope's:
Persuasion tips his tongue whene're he talks
And he has chambers in the Kings Bench
Walks.
"The countenance of Lord Mans
field" says a friend and contemporary,
Nwas uncommonly beautiful, and none
could ever behold it, even in advanced
years without reverence. Nature had
given him an eye of fires There
was a similarity between his action
and that of Mr. GarTick"
The wonderful oratory of Edmund
Burke was not assisted much by his
personal appearance. He was tall but
not robust. His gestures were little
awkward. and his face, though it bore
marks of intellect. was not attractive.
As he always wore spectacles his eye
gave him no command over an audi
ence.
Eloquence of language, however, SO
concealed these shortcomings from
some people, that we find little Miss
Burney" recording in her enthusiasm
that his figure is noble, his air com
manding, his address graceful. 3 s. <
Since we lost Garrick l have seen no
body so enchanting" But perhaps
she could hardly say less of a man
who confessed that he had sat up ali
night to read her books.
According to Rogers, Burke did
not do himself justice as a speaker;
his manner was hurried, and he al
ways seemed to be in a passion"
Charles James Fox was a typical
Englishman both in appearance and
oratory He stood on the floor of
the House" says one writer, ''like a
Norfolkshire farmer i'll the midst of
his fellows; short, thick-set, with his
broad shoulders and capacious chest,
his bushy hair and eyebrows, and his
dark countenance working with emo
tion, the very image of blunt honesty
and strength"
In his later days he was rather a
sloven in dress, but in his youth he
was passionately fond of wearing fine
clothes, walking about with a little
French hat on his head, and red heeled
shoes on his feet, and once making a
journey from Paris to Lyons for no
other purpose than to buy waistcoats.
Henry Grattan, the great Irish ora
tor, and unfinching advocate of the
Just rights of his country, had large
plain features and quite an eccentric
look. He was short in stature" says
Mr.. Charles Phillips, ''and unprepos
sessing in appearance. His arms were
disproportionately long His walk
was a stride With a person swing
ing like pendulum, and an abstracted
air, he seemed always in thought, and
each thought moved an attendant ges-
ticulation. p = The great difficulty in
this great speakers way was the first
five minutes During his exordium
laughter was imminent He bent his
body almost to the ground, swung his
arms over his head, up and down and
around him, and added to the gro
stesqueness of his manner ahesitating
tone and drawing emphasis. Still
there was an iearnestness about him
that at first besought, and as he
warmed, enforced, nay, demanded at
tention" Lord Byron says that Grat-
tan would have been near his ideal of
a perfect orator but for his harlequin
manner.
Lord Erskine had a singularly
graceful and attractive manner and a
pleasing personal appearance. He
was of middle height, and his figure
was slender and firmly moulded His
countenance shone with emotion, and
be had an eye of wonderful keenness
and power Says Lord Broughan,
t'Juries have declared that they felt
1t impossible to remove their looks
from him when he had rivited and, as
It were, fascinated them by his first
glance; and 1t used to be a common
remark of men who observed his mo-
tions that they resembled those of a
blood horse, as light, as Timber, as
much betokening strength and speed,
as free from all gross superfuity or
encumbrance."
John Phiipot Curran, of whose
triumphs at the Irish bar everyone
has read, was insignificant looking,
but like Erskine, had a remarkable
eye-"an eye that glowed like a live
coal.- He had sswarthy complexion.
He was short, slim, and even boyish